Last week Grant Restel our outbound exchange student shared his experiences as an exchange student in Japan. Listening to his stories from the year confirmed to our membership that our investment in the Rotary Youth Exchange students is an investment in our youth and future leaders. We are building peace with one young person at a time. Not only has he developed lifelong leadership skills, he learned a new culture, he built lasting friendships with young people from around the world and he has newly adopted "families." We thank Grant for representing the US and our club well while in Japan.
Thank you to our Youth Exchange Committee for their commitment to this program for our club. There are so many behind-the-scence activities/work.... meetings, paperwork, interviews, follow-ups, etc that go on to make this program a success. Please thank our chair Jack Haase and his committee, Tara Johnson, Jeanne Meyer, Robin Moses, Maria Norberg, Eva Marie Restel, Michelle Skemp, Anne Snow and Mary Stanek.
Todd and Eva Marie Restel, proud parents of Grant, honored him with a Paul Harris Fellow. Grant received a certificate, lapel pin and the Paul Harris Medallion. Congratulations to Grant!
For more information on the Paul Harris Fellow visit our web site.
Todd and Eva Marie sent off another son, Jared this week to Germany. Next year we will be hearing about Jared's youth exchange experiences in Germany.
We welcomed a new member to our club Lynn Zielke, from Travel Leaders. Lynn was proposed by Mary Mickelson. Remember to greet all new red badge members. Welcome Lynn!
We also had a "future" Rotarian with us. Jack Haase introduced his four-year-old grandson Ian McGinty to the club. Maybe a future Youth Exchange Student....or possibly a future Rotary President like his Grandpa and mother!
ROTARY AVENUES OF SERVICE DINNER....Avenues of Service Dinner is scheduled for Tuesday, August 15, 2017 at the Lunda Center at WTC. Social begins at 5:30 with dinner and program at 6:30. Our club will recognize David Amborn as our Rotarian of the Year. We will also remember Rotarians that have gone before us this year: Dan Danou and Merl Case. To view Rotarians of the Year, Lifetime Achievement, Rising Star and Avenue of Service Awards.....visit our web site.
Our Youth Exchange Student for the 2017-18 year will be Rebeca from Parana, Brazil. She will be arriving at the La Crosse Airport on Wednesday, August 16th at 3:19 pm...please come and welcome her!
We are still looking for the "second host family." Rebeca will be attending Logan High School. If you are interested or know of someone who might be, please contact Jack Haase for more information. You do not need to be a Rotarian to host Rebeca.
At little insight on Rebeca...she is a member of a Interact Club...she enjoys being part of something that serves humanity. She enjoys watching movies, reading books, taking pictures, meeting new places and going out with her family, usually at a park to play volley. She intends to do an undergraduate course in cinema and work in film directing. She chose this path when she was in 9th grade while doing theater in school.
Rotary Youth Exchange A Step Toward WorldUnderstanding. The La Crosse area Rotary Clubs are looking for students who are interested in a unique experience of attending high school while living in another Rotary International country. Rotary International has a program which annually involves over 10,000 high school students living nearly a year in another country. Candidates must be sophomores to seniors in high school at the time of application and 16-18 1/2 years old when they leave for their assigned country. Applicants must rank in the upper half of their class.
How to apply. If you know of someone that is interested in this program for the 2018-19 school year, simply have them complete and return the application. Click here for application and more information. An informational meeting will be September 20, 2017, 6:30 pm at the Children's Museum, 207 5th Avenue, La Crosse. Preliminary application due, September 20, 2017. Local interviews will be October 2, 2017 and final application due October 25, 2017. District interviews will be held on November 5, 2017 in Baraboo.
Lindy Saline... Lindy is now back at his home if you would like to send him a card his address is 622 Bennora Lee Court #254, La Crosse WI. 54601.
Lil Grassman wife of Rotarian Elmer Grassman... Lil is recovering from a fall and will need a pacemaker. She was at Bethany St. Joseph recuperating last week. Get well wishes can be sent to 2921 Leonard Street, La Crosse WI 54601.
The Mary Mickelson family: Mary's father Robert Clement, 84 passed away on Friday, August 4th. Obituary. Mary's address is W417 CTH K, Stoddard, WI 54658.
If you are planning or interested in going, please register on our ClubRunneralso so that our members can connect with all that are planning or would like to go.
We are teaming up with the Riverfest Commodores with a fundraiser. They are selling raffle tickets to benefit their Riverfest Commodore Foundation, Inc....each ticket is $10 or 3 for $25....every ticket we sell we will get $5.......1st Place is Four Club Seats to the Packers/Dallas game on October 16th...includes a 6 passenger limo service to and from the game.....2nd - 5th price click here to view.We hope you will not only buy a ticket but take a pack of tickets to sell to your friends, co-workers, etc. We will use the money through-out the year for our projects. Last year we used $1,000 for the Riverwatch Project and $1,000 for the After Hours Youth Exchange program. The money remaining may be used for our Veteran's Lounge Project. Please help us make this fundraiser a success. Pick up your tickets this week at Rotary. PICK UP A PACK AND SELL THEM TO YOUR FRIENDS AND CO-WORKERS! Drawing will be Monday, September 11th at 7 pm at Shenanigan's. If you are not a member of our club and would like to purchase a ticket..email rotarylax@charter.net and we will connect with you.
A word from our Vocational Team Training/Friendship Exchange committee:
As announced at Rotary, several Friendship Exchanges are in the works for 2018. To quote Dr. David Clemens, our district 6250 coordinator:
We plan on having an exchange with Latvia/Sweden next year. We plan an exchange with Argentina next year. I am trying to make contact with Iceland. Others are making contact with other places, so if they come through, we might have more trips. I have been contacted by Nigeria and India(around Taj Mahal). Let me know if you would like for me to pursue exchanges to those areas
Dr. David Clemens 245 W. Munroe Ave. Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965 608-254-2345
If you have interest to travel or have helpful contacts in any of these possible countries, please contact David directly, or talk with Mark Jolivette, mjolivett@aol.com or 608-781-6045.
You can also visit with Jack and Ann Haase and Bob Bendiksen who have joined and led groups. Groups tend to be 6-8 people, and usually visit 2 or 3 clubs and communities within a district for about a 2-week period. Airfare is at the Rotarian's cost, but incredible hospitality and meals are provided by the host homes and clubs.
Rotary Friendship Exchange...The Rotary Friendship Exchange program gives Rotarians and their families the opportunity to host and visit Rotarians around the world. In addition to experiencing other cultures and making lasting friendships, an exchange provides a strong foundation for carrying out other international activities and service projects. The primary goal of a Friendship Exchange is to build greater international understanding and goodwill among Rotarians and their families. In addition, exchange participants can learn how their vocations are practiced in other parts of the world, observe new customs and cultures, and promote an appreciation of cultural diversity worldwide.
Happy Birthday Sandra Cleary - Aug 26 Mary Ann Gshwind - Aug 28 Judy Kirpatrick (honorary) - Aug 28 Tim Kabat - Aug 30
Happy Wedding Anniversary Tom (Jan) Brock - Aug 26 Robin (Richard) Moses - Aug 26 Joe and Michelle Skemp - Aug 26 Art (Shelley) Fahey - Aug 28 Steve (Cindy) Schult - Aug 29 Roger and Kenna Christians - Aug 30 Trish (Bob) Grathen - Aug 30 Chuck and Cheryl Hanson - Aug 30
Happy Rotary Anniversary Thai Vue - Aug 26 - 24 years Debra Lash - Aug 27 - 2 years Ruthann Schultz - Aug 27 - 2 years Sue Durtsche - Aug 28 - 3 years Bob Bendiksen - Aug 29 - 32 years Kelly Cottrell - Aug 29 - 4 years
ROTARY ATTENDANCE July 27th - 55% Aug 3rd - 56% Aug 10th - 60%
Rotary Attendance policy is to attend or makeup at least 50% of the club meetings during the first six months and the second six months. They can be done by: • Attending regular club meetings • Making up meetings at other Rotary Clubs ( which includes E-Clubs) • Engaging in club projects/events/fellowship/board meetings.
Please note: Raffle, Fines, Birthday, Anniversaries and Scooters are all donations that will go to the club If you are making a donation and would like it to go to the Rotary Works Foundation or Rotary International Foundation, we ask that you write a check to the Foundation of your choice.
Aug 10th: Raffle $52: Fines $190; Scooters $12; Scrip $10
MEMBERSHIP Active Membership 179 Welcome Lynn Zielke
Resignation: Lisa Herr
Honorary Members 25
Corporate Membership is a program to allow multiple employees of a business Rotary participation under one primary membership. Each corporate membership is limited to a three-year term. After the three-year corporate membership term, the individuals are required to become individual members. View Corporate Membership Policy.
Family Membership is a program to allow a second individual Rotary participation under one primary membership. View Family Membership Policy.
Honorary Membership is offered to members who have distinguished themselves by meritorious service in the furtherance of Rotary ideals. View Honorary Membership Policy.
Excused Membership is offered to members if the aggregate of the member’s years of age and years of membership in one or more clubs is 85 years or more, the member has been a member of one or more clubs for at least 20 years, and the member has notified the club's secretary in writing of the member’s desire to be excused from attendance and the board has approved. Excused Members will pay the quarterly dues of $70 and only for meals when they attend a meeting.
Membership Proposals....we will no longer ask for three references when you propose a new member. This was a criteria that our club had set not RI. This will help us process new members into our club more efficiently. You can access the membership proposal form online, under the Club Information site page.
If you would like to volunteer for Rotarians in the News, be a greeter, a hospitality greeter, raffle ticket seller, scrip seller or announce guests, you can email the Monthly Program Chairs that are listed above....just click on their name. If you would like to give your classification talk please contact Program Committee Chair Tami Woods.
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Our program next week will be about the Fox Valley Voices of Men by presenter Tom Berekedal, Leadership Team President. 
Last week Grant Restel our outbound exchange student shared his experiences as an exchange student in Japan. Listening to his stories from the year confirmed to our membership that our investment in the Rotary Youth Exchange students is an investment in our youth and future leaders. We are building peace with one young person at a time. Not only has he developed lifelong leadership skills, he learned a new culture, he built lasting friendships with young people from around the world and he has newly adopted "families." We thank Grant for representing the US and our club well while in Japan.
tanding. The La Crosse area Rotary Clubs are looking for students who are interested in a unique experience of attending high school while living in another Rotary International country. Rotary International has a program which annually involves over 10,000 high school students living nearly a year in another country. Candidates must be sophomores to seniors in high school at the time of application and 16-18 1/2 years old when they leave for their assigned country. Applicants must rank in the upper half of their class.
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Our Rotary Habitat for Humanity Work Day is Saturday, September 16th....from 8-3 at 5th and Mississippi.
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